GADSDEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Gadsden Independent Schools is a rural school district in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, serving 12,120 students across 28 schools. The district experienced a 4.0% enrollment decline from the prior year, with a student-teacher ratio of 14.0:1 supported by 865 teachers.

Academically, the district's 87.5% graduation rate exceeds the state average of 79.3% by approximately 8 percentage points. The student population reflects significant diversity and need: 55.3% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, 45.2% are English learners, and 18.6% receive special education services. Racial enrollment is evenly distributed across White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations at 50.0% each.

Financially, Gadsden operates with a total budget of $182.8 million and per-pupil spending of $8,100, which is above the state average of $7,968. Revenue sources are heavily state-dependent at 73.8%, with federal funding comprising 15.8% and local sources 10.4%. This composition reflects the limited local tax base typical of rural districts in the region.

The district's structure includes 16 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 5 high schools. While the district maintains above-average graduation outcomes relative to state benchmarks, the declining enrollment trend and high proportion of economically disadvantaged and English learner populations present ongoing operational and instructional challenges requiring sustained resource allocation and program support.